Spring Weather

Yesterday, cherry trees were blooming...

Periwinkles were blooming...

Bees were buzzing around...

And the apple trees were loaded with blossoms.  Last night was a different story.  Horribly windy, rain, sleet, hail...I was surprised to see all the blossoms were still here this morning and there was just a very, very thin crust of snow on the roofs, but not on the trees or blossoms.  I thought the worst was over, as it had all mostly melted by early this afternoon.

But later this afternoon, the sky got very dark and it started to snow, and it's sticking to everything...trees, roads, and, sadly, the blossoms.

The weather people are saying there could be as much as 6 inches by tomorrow.  I sure hope they're wrong.

Linking to  Through My Lens  and   Our World Tuesday

Goodbye, Dearest Sister

My precious sister, Patricia, passed away last Wednesday, the 16th, at a little before 6:00 a.m., from stage 4 lung cancer.  It took her fast; she had only been diagnosed two weeks before.  This photo was taken in 2006, when she was 74, and she hadn't changed much during the intervening years. We were trying on tiaras in my studio, being silly (it's what we did best) and I'm so glad I took this photo. 

Bye for now, Sissy...I know we'll see each other again some day.

Winter Makes a Comeback

It's snowing here today (yay)!  This robin doesn't look too happy, but I'm pretty sure the humans and trees are thrilled.  This snow, coming after rain all last night, is very welcome in these parched mountains. 

Just a couple of days ago the ornamental cherries were in full bloom...

Some pussy willows were even putting out their tiny, tiny flowers. 

But there's no doubt...this robin will be happy once the snow is over! 

Linking with Through My Lens   and  Image-in-ing  

Thursday's Quote

When you reach a certain age you realize that life is finite.  You can be depressed by that...or you can say, "I'm going to appreciate every minute to its maximum potential."  Gordon Sumner (Sting)

Too Warm, Too Dry

Not many signs of spring yet, which is as it should be.  It's been so abnormally warm (58 F today) here in these mountains, though, I'm sure spring will be here lots sooner than normal.

There were a few clouds around today at Lake Gregory...

along with various birds.   Mr. and Mrs. Mallard

Ms. Mallard.

A seagull and, down in the left corner, a cormorant.  I didn't see the cormorant until I uploaded the photo, so I missed the opportunity to get a close-up.   

Far above the lake, a bald eagle soared...

while the selfish clouds hurried away to somewhere else without sharing any much needed rain. 

 Linking to  Skywatch Friday      Wednesday Around the World     Through My Lens     Our World Tuesday   Life Thru the Lens 

Alpenglow

I was down in Redlands (a small town in the San Bernardino valley) last week and caught this beautiful sunset.  This is looking west...

Looking behind me to the east, I realized one of my favorite things was happening...

Alpenglow!

I love it when the sunset colors the snow on the high peaks.  It only lasts for a couple of minutes, at best.  I
looked back to the west...

and snapped a quick (I thought) shot, but by the time I turned back to the east the mountains and the sky had faded into the blue of dusk...

I felt really lucky that I was there to not only see, but get photos of, one of my favorite natural things.

I'm linking with Our World Tuesday   and   Blue Monday  and   Through My Lens Monday

and    Life Thru the Lens     and   Pink Saturday

Shadow Shot Sunday

Shadows and sun on a path around Lake Arrowhead.  Linking with Shadow Shot Sunday

Sunday Light and Shadow

Sun and wind flowing down a hillside,   

drew my attention to this old stump, and made me notice it's beauty. 

Linking with Shadow Shot Sunday

Pink Saturday

Little flowers of Fremont's Bush Mallow (Malacothamus fremontii) that I found growing down around Cleghorn Canyon.  It's a liminal sort of place, not really a part of the mountains but not really desert.  It's so quiet there, especially winter afternoons. 

Linking with Pink Saturday

Skywatch Friday

Sitting on the top of a 200 foot Ponderosa Pine on a windy and cold January day in the San Bernardino mountains, 

this Red Tailed Hawk was carefully watching the land below. 

These photos aren't the best, 

But I was pretty far away, and I didn't use a tripod.  I guess I'm always too afraid the bird is going to fly away before I can take a photo.

This is where the photos were taken from and the red dot marks the tree she was sitting in.

Click to see more Skywatch Friday

Outdoor Wednesday

Overlooking Lake Gregory in the San Bernardino mountain range of Southern California.  The San Gabriel mountain range is in the back with the lower layer of clouds floating right on top of them.  A beautiful day full of light and shadow and cold, fresh, pine-scented air.

To see more photos of the outdoors around the world, go to  Outdoor Wednesday

Thin and Brittle

We got a thin dusting of snow last night, about a half inch, which started to melt, but then the temperature dropped again, leaving ice on some things and a brittle, thin blanket of snow on others.

Just enough snow to make the logs look picturesque...

And allow the raccoons to leave their footprints on the path! 

Linking to:  Macro Monday 2      Through My Lens  I Heart Macro   Our World Tuesday

Reflections and Shadows

Clouds admiring their reflections in Lake Gregory...

While on the other side of the lake, trees cast their shadows.  Or, maybe shadows are how trees see their reflections.
Linking to   Shadow Shot Sunday  

The above photos were taken in March of 2013.  It's pouring rain (2.59 inches so far) here in these mountains today - by tonight it will be snowing - YAY!  Higher up in Big Bear it's already snowing.

An Unexpected Gift

An unexpected gift from my husband...tulips must be blooming somewhere in the world!  My crocuses aren't even peeking up through the ground here yet.

Linking with Pink Saturday

Skywatch Friday

A cold January sunset at Lake Gregory in the San Bernardino mountains of California.

To see more beautiful skies, click here Skywatch Friday

Wild Bird Wednesday

A male Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) was hunting for bugs down by Lake Gregory. 

He spotted a tasty bug... 

and flew off in a blur of blue and rust.

Unfortunately for me, he missed the annoying bug in the lower left portion of this photo...

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday